Harry's Familiars
by MagicWarriorDragon
Summary: ADOPTED by Darksurvivor! Harry Potter had a lonely childhood. When he finds a happy little colt in a barn, they become fast friends. When he gets his Hogwarts letter, he finds a way to take the horse with him, later discovering that he and the colt had unknowingly started the first step to a familiar bond. Craziness reigns when Harry Potter and the Colt arrive at Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

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 **AN: Hello! This is MagicWarriorDragon, and I welcome you to my first story! I had a ton of fun writing this, but stick with me for the first few paragraphs, please! I don't think those turned out quite how I wanted it to, but I think it gets better halfway through. Enjoy the first chapter of Harry's Familiars!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the associated characters.**

The foal, less than an hour old, tried to stand after its latest failed attempt, calling for its mother to help it once again. The foal's mother, a strong dark chestnut colored mare, bent her head down and nudged the colt to its feet. The colt succeeded getting to its feet for the first time. The mother snorted and the colt took a shaky step forward. As it gained confidence in its legs it took another step forward, then another. The stable hand assigned to the care of the mare as it gave birth snickered as he wrote down how long it took the foal to stand.

"This little guy is never going to be worth anything if he's too weak to even stand! We should just get rid of him when no one buys him!" the stable hand commented to the veterinarian standing next to him. The vet was checking over the mare and foal to make sure both were healthy. "Well, both seem to be in fine condition. It doesn't matter to me what you do with him now." The vet left the stable with that parting comment. The stable hand closed up the barn and went home, his shift finished for the day.

* * *

Harry was close to collapsing by the time he stopped running. He glanced behind him one last time to check if Dudley and his gang of bullies were still behind him. He breathed out a sign of relief and looked around to see where his feet had taken him. He was leaning against a fence post, and by looking on the other side of the fence he could see all kinds of horses grazing. He continued to gasp for breath and headed toward the only building he saw nearby, a large barn with hay spilling out of the entrance. It was getting dark out and he could hear a car starting up in the distance, probably to take the last worker for the day home.

The barn was warm and should be a fine place to sleep, just for tonight, Harry thought to himself. A sound to his left caused him to investigate. He saw young horse that was running around in its stall, while a horse he assumed was the foal's mother nickered and walked around as much as it could in the cramped stall. Harry sympathized with the horses, thinking of his own "room." Harry's room was a small cupboard under the stairs at his uncle's house, where he was made to cook and clean every day, all the while serving as his Cousin Dudley's punching bag.

Harry opened the stall and let the two horses out of their cramped stall. The dark brown and white colt immediately ran out and started running around the stall. The mare followed her foal, but didn't leave the stall. Harry walked up to the mare and gently pet her for a long while. The foal returned to its mother, hungry for food. Harry gathered straw into a pile and tried to fall asleep. His eyes snapped open again when he felt a body lay down next to his. He still couldn't see anything in the darkness, so he reached out a hand towards the body. He relaxed when he felt the soft fur of the colt. He fell asleep with a smile that night.

* * *

Harry's thin frame shivered from the cold as he sat up, his messy mop of black hair falling over his glasses. He looked around his surroundings to find his missing source of warmth, the foal, was getting fed by its mother. "You need a name, little guy! So, I am just going to assume you don't have one and name you myself. I hope that's okay with you." Harry spoke to the unnamed foal for the first time. He knew that it couldn't respond, but continued to speak anyway, "You could be named Norman!" the foal didn't even move its ears towards him. "Okay, not Norman. How about Jeff? No, that's too generic for you. Maybe Mario? Or Widget?" Harry sighed and thought to himself. He looked over at the foal. It was so full of energy and life, yet it was so young and doesn't know true freedom. The foal has never run over miles of field or forest. It had potential to become a powerful, amazing, beautiful creature. "Kane. Your name will be Kane." Harry walked over to the pinto colt. He didn't know much about horses, but he thought it was a beautiful horse.

As Harry walked home he planned out the rest of his day. The first thing that would happen when he walked through the door of his house at number Four Privet Drive would be a confrontation with his Uncle Vernon. Harry's Uncle Vernon was a man that is wider than he is tall, and looks more closely related to a walrus than a human being. After getting yelled at, he would be given an impossibly long list of chores to be completed by the end of the day without a single mistake or imperfection. One of those chores would be to make them dinner, all the while his horse faced aunt screeched at him about a mistake he made with the food and how he would have to redo one of the chores tomorrow because it was done "terribly." Even though he made the ginormous proportions of food his fat whale of an uncle and cousin required, they would lock him in his cupboard without any food again. He would have to try get away with grabbing a few crumbs of food as he cooked it without them noticing, today.

Harry's day ended just as he predicted, and the only noticeable inconsistency to that plan was that he got beaten up by Dudley after he was yelled at by Vernon. He completed most of his assigned chores before getting thrown in his cupboard, but he had managed to snag a small piece of chicken. He ate the chicken after he heard the "click" of the locks outside his cupboard.

"Boy! Get up and make breakfast before you leave for school!" came the screech of his aunt that woke Harry from his restful slumber. The cupboard door opened and Harry emerged, quickly stretching his cramped muscles as he walked toward the kitchen. He cooked a simple meal of bacon and eggs. Then he scurried out of the kitchen after serving the food and took a brief shower.

Slinging his old backpack over his much too large hand-me-down clothes, he walked to school. School was not enjoyable for Harry. If he did anything better than Dudley, he would get in trouble with his aunt and uncle. Harry's cousin wasn't smart in any sense of the word, which meant basically failing everything. He has been considered a delinquent freak everyone he's met more than once, his reputation not helped at all by all the rumors his aunt spreads about him.

He walked into his first class of the day, the teacher glaring at him as he sat down in the far back of his English class. The classes were useless to him, all he did was get yelled at and purposefully fail his work, and because they don't teach him anything. He goes to the library after school every day, the only place he actually learns something. When he goes to the library, he reads books on math, science, English, and geography. He self-taught himself anything he thinks is useful every other day instead of working on those core subjects. The teacher barked out, "Mr. Potter, I do not tolerate day dreaming in my classroom! Why do delinquents like _you_ always want to disturb those of us who are trying to learn skills that will help us live a _successful_ life! Your future of living on the streets may be all but set, but other children's future is being set up now! Go sit out in the hall until your next class!" Sometimes Harry thought his teacher loved nothing more than to hear herself speak. He walked out of the room, tuning out the sound of the other children's snickers and sat outside the classroom. Thoughts of Kane danced through his mind, causing him to day dream during the middle of his teachers boring and unnecessarily long lecture on the different types of figurative language. He really wanted to go visit him, but as it was only Monday, he had to wait until the weekend.

The bell to go to his next class rang, startling him out of his thoughts again and he hurried to his math class. He took the sheet his grumpy math teacher handed to him and sat down, quickly doing all the problems on it correctly before erasing half of the correct answers and making them incorrect so he gets an F on the paper, the best his cousin Dudley would allow him to get. If he got anything higher Dudley would go to his parents and say that Harry cheated off of him and he changed his answers to make Harry's wrong, his normal excuse to his bad grades. Sadly, Harry had almost the exact same daily schedule as his cousin.

His next few classes were uneventful, going almost the exact same way as his math class. When the last bell of the day rang, he practically ran out of the door, being very careful to avoid his cousin and his cousin's gang of bullies. He got lucky today and they didn't chase after him. His first stop was the public library. The librarian barely glanced up from her book, used to him coming in every day.

He went to the non-fiction section to look for anything about horses, wanting to know more about his new, and only, friend. He was very surprised to find out how young his friend was according to the book. He skimmed over a few more books before looking for one on horse care and training, if he wanted to keep his friend. He was terrified at the thought that some random person could walk into that barn and buy Kane.

* * *

By Friday, he was buzzing with excitement, and not even Dudley and his gang eyeing him all day caused him to lose his good mood. The bell rang, and he was out of his seat and out of the door before Dudley even realized he was gone. He rang towards the general direction of the barn and was soon there, panting with exhilaration. It was also one of the first times he has ever run for fun and not to escape something.

Harry panicked when he didn't see the happy colt when he first walked into the barn, but calmed down with a chuckle when he noticed the colt running around outside with its mother. The workers only came during the week, leaving extra food out for the horses over the weekend. Walking into the fenced in field, he waited for the horses to notice him. When they slowed down to a walk, Harry greeted them with a smile and a, "Hey Kane! You look like you are having fun. Hello, pretty mare." He knew the fully grown dark chestnut colored mare had a name, so he decided not to try and name her. He pets the still small foal and played with its ears while he thought.

Harry longed for a friend. He has never had one, as Dudley would beat up and threaten anyone who was so much as nice to "a freak like him." The little foal's innocence and willingness to be his friend called out to his very soul. He just _didn't want to be alone_ anymore. The little foal scrunched up his nose and snorted into Harry's chest. "You'll be taller than me at some point, Kane. I hope you'll be my friend forever and ever. Don't ever leave me, please." Harry had crouched down to give the little colt a hug at some point during his speech.

He started playing with the colt, slipping in a few of the foal exercise and brain development games he had read about in the past week. Eventually, both tired but happy, laid down on the ground, Harry's light frame leaning against the small but powerful form of the colt. Harry started to talk as the sun went down over the pasture. He told Kane about his life, his problems, everything. Harry poured his heart out to a creature he knew couldn't understand him. It made him feel so good, so free, to finally get everything off his chest for the first time ever. He talked late into the night. Kane's ears swiveled toward him the entire time, dutifully listening as Harry talked. When Harry finished he got up, Kane following his example. They both go into the barn and bed down, Kane's mother following after a few moments. Harry sleeps there once again in a pile of straw with Kane lying next to him.

 **AN: How did I do? I am welcome to feedback in the comments section! R &R! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

 **AN: Kinda AU because I don't think any of the places I describe actually exist. Well, its fiction. Go with it! Oh and Harry was eight when he first met Kane. I know the British have different currency than Americans (Pounds I think…) but I don't want to try to use pounds and completely screw it up, so I'm just going to pretend the entire world uses American dollars.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable content.**

Harry walked towards the forest that sat on the edge of the field where the horses graze, Kane trailing behind him without a lead faithfully. "Your original owners never seemed to care much for you, Kane, and they haven't found a buyer for you yet. That means they may try to cut their losses by getting rid of you. How do you get rid of a horse, anyway?" Harry entered the forest, slowly clearing a path big enough for Kane to follow him. He had been planning to steal Kane away from the owners that don't appreciate him for a while now. It has been about a year since Harry first met Kane, and the colt is now old enough to leave his mother.

Now, to some, having a horse for a best friend would make you seem insane. Harry was perfectly sane, but he could see a spark of intelligence in his friend that the other horses just _lacked._ Kane always seemed to understand Harry perfectly, even listening to Harry if he is asked to do something, like lower his head to fit under a branch or to follow Harry.

Harry and Kane traveled deep into the forest, until they stumbled into a clearing. The clearing was surrounded by lush green trees, exposing the sky. Kane snorted as he felt the breeze against his fur, wanting to run around and play. "Okay Kane! This area will be your new home! Try not to wander to far from this spot, though, okay?" Kane snorted as a response to Harry's order and started prancing around the clearing. Harry cleared away all of the leaves and twigs on the ground. Harry laughed when he saw Kane try to walk under a tree and instead get his chocolate brown and white mane stuck on a low hanging branch. Kane gave him an annoyed look and shook his head to free himself.

Harry had gathered enough money to buy himself a small horse care kit, complete with a brush and hoof pick. The grass covering the forest floor in patches should provide enough food for a while, Harry thought to himself, but I need to bring in a few bales of hay just in case. He whistled for Kane and the colt came back to his side, where Harry brushed the healthy fur that covered Kane. He cleaned out his hooves and combed out the knots in Kane's mane and tail. When he finished, he simply gestured for the horse to continue playing, before laughing and throwing leaves at the yearling. That started a game of tag that Harry lost horribly at, but he redeemed himself when the tag turned into hide-and-seek. They played for some time before Harry tired himself out, the seemingly endless energy of his furred friend causing him to not notice time flow by.

"Well, I have to go now, but since this place is closer to my home than the barn, I can visit more often! I'll see you tomorrow, I promise, Kane!" Harry spoke to the horse, whose ears had fallen against its head when he realized Harry was leaving. "Remember not to travel to far from this clearing so I can find you again!" Harry spoke one last reminder before starting the long walk back to the town he could never truly call home. Home is a place you want to return to. Home is a place where you feel loved. The only place Harry feels at home is with Kane.

* * *

Harry arrived at his Uncle's house and immediately wished he was still in the happy atmosphere of the clearing. The moment he walked in he had an angry Vernon shoving a list of chores into his hand. "Where have you been, boy? There is work that needs to be done and you living here isn't cheap! We give you a home, clothing, and food, and this is how you repay us! By the time you leave we will be broke you unhelpful brat! Get to work!" Vernon's face changed at an alarming pace through different shades of purple as he spoke, spittle flying out of his mouth. Harry merely nodded, knowing that a verbal response wouldn't improve his uncle's mood. He turned around and walked back outside, immediately walking over to the small garden his Aunt Petunia kept. He started gardening, pulling weeds and trimming the rose bushes.

The whole neighborhood was bland and boring, in Harry's opinion. Every house looked almost identical, every patch of grass trimmed to the same height, every bush in the same spot throughout the neighborhood. After gardening, he repainted the garage door and cleaned the inside of the house before he heard the call of his aunt, "Harry, come make dinner! Cook us those pork chops tonight that I brought from the store, and you better not burn them! They were expensive!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry replied and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner. As he cooked he remembered what Vernon had told him a few days ago. His Uncle had walked up to him and said, "I have to go on a business trip to Africa in a few days. I talked about it with Petunia and we decided to make it a family trip. You are going to stay here so that we can have an enjoyable weekend, got it? If I hear anything, and I mean anything, from any of the neighbors about you doing something you weren't supposed to, I'll lock you in your cupboard for a month without food!" Harry, while inwardly ecstatic at the news, nodded and promised to behave.

Today was the day the Dursleys left to go on their trip. He put the pork chops on a plate and left to bring all of the pre-packed luggage out to the car. As the Dursleys walked out of the door, Vernon shot him one last glare in warning before shutting the door behind him. When the Durseys were gone, he smiled and walked back to the kitchen, making himself a sandwich for dinner.

He went to bed early, wanting to be up bright and early to start his weekend without the Dursleys, a rare occurrence. It was four o'clock in the morning when Harry woke up and made breakfast for himself. He then pulled on a pair of Dudley's old sneakers, his best pair. He ran towards the forest where he had hidden Kane. He whistled as he walked into the clearing to tell Kane he was there. A rustling noise sounded from behind him and he spun around, only to feel the muscular body of Kane slam into his chest. " _Oof_. Hey Kane! Guess what? I can spend all weekend with you! Isn't that great!" exclaimed Harry.

Kane snorted and started hopping around in excitement. Harry chuckled and tried to calm the exited pinto yearling down. "Why don't we try to see how fast you can run? I don't think you've ever had the room to go all-out before!" Harry excitedly rambled about all the stuff they could during his weekend of freedom. They exited the forest in a secluded pasture and Harry held up his hand. "Okay, Kane. When I drop my hand, you run as fast as you can to that rock. Then come back at any pace you want, got it?" Kane neighed and got into a ready position.

Harry dropped his hand and watched as his friend took off like a bullet out of a gun. The rock that he had pointed out was on the other side of the pasture, and would be a fairly long walk if Harry tried to get over there himself. He cheered when Kane reached the rock after about five minutes. The colt started walking back, catching his breath before slowly increasing his speed back up to a slow gallop. Harry hugged the colt when it reached him and said, "You are amazing Kane! I bet you could outrun a fully grown horse!" Kane held his head his up high in faux self-importance.

Harry laughed and leaned against Kane before holding out a handful of grass for him to eat, Kane easily taking it out of his hand and munching on it. Harry pet Kane's head as the pinto colt ate. Harry knew that Kane still had plenty of energy, so he dragged a nearby fallen log and put it in the pasture before directing Kane to jump over it. "Okay, if you get a running start, you should be able to jump over the log with no difficulty." Harry waited for Kane to swallow the grass he was chewing before yelling, "Go!"

As the sun dropped over the horizon, Harry and Kane walked back into their clearing. Kane folded his knees below him so that he was lying on the ground. Harry sat down next to him, and leaned against Kane's side. "I wish I could stay here with you forever. But what is stopping me? I could run away and the Dursleys, "Harry almost spit the name, "Wouldn't care at all. Maybe I should run away. I don't need to go to that stupid school; the teachers are all biased there. I'm going to make a plan and then decide whether or not to go through with it. What do you say, Kane, will you run away with me?"

The brown and white horse rubbed his head against Harry's chest and snorted. As Harry pet Kane's head, he had the first inkling of a plan start forming in his head. The rest of Harry's weekend with Kane was fun filled, with the days always ending in that same position, talking and leaning on each other. When Monday came around Harry knew three things for sure. One, He was infinitely happier when he was with Kane than anywhere else. Two, he was serious about running away. It wasn't just a passing impulse. Three, if he was going to run away, he was going to do it correctly.

He had saved up just enough money over the years to buy a few things. He needs to buy a backpack, an adjustable saddle for when Kane was old enough for him to ride, and a multi-function pocket knife. Harry was certain that he wouldn't need a bridle because he could simply ask Kane to turn or direct him with his hands or feet. He knew that he was far ahead of the other kids in school, so he shouldn't have to worry about his education for a few years.

In the backpack, he planned to pack food that he would take from the Dursley's house (serves them right for almost never allowing him food!), a small blanket, a tiny pillow, and the multi-function pocket knife he bought when he got the backpack. The plan was to leave during the next weekend, leaving behind a note that tells the Dursleys that he ran away and not to look for him. He even came up with an excuse for them if the neighbors ask where he went. He wanted them to tell the neighbors that he got sent to a school for juvenile delinquents by the Dursleys, as they had threatened to do for years.

The Dursleys would return on Monday, leaving Harry just enough time to bring the heavy saddle out to the clearing where Kane stays. He will go to school for another week, going to the library and brushing up on any survival skills he might need, like how to start a fire, build a shelter out of sticks, different types of poisonous plants in the area, how to hunt, set traps, cook an animal, and even a little bit of first aid. If Harry or Kane got hurt, Harry wanted to be prepared to fix it. When he thought of that, he immediately added a first aid kit to his backpack full of supplies. When Thursday came around, Harry realized he was woefully under-prepared for life in the forest. What would he wear, once the clothes he currently wears fall apart? He did not want to walk around in the forest naked.

His remedy to that was to, reluctantly, steal money from the Dursleys. He committed the amount he stole to memory, promising himself that if he ever earned enough money to pay them back, he would. He went to a store and bought himself the first brand new set of clothes he has ever owned. He brought a few pairs, some in bigger sizes for when he gets older. He planned on using all of them, making sure to get an extra pair that he would keep somewhere safe for any occasion that might require him leaving the forest.

He then added the most durable refillable waterskin he could find, hoping he could find a lake or river in the forest to get water from. He added a knife to his supplies, along with a couple of those bracelets that you can unwind to get a bunch of rope. A small flashlight and a compass were quickly added to his supplies. A garbage bag was grabbed from the Dursleys house act a shelter until he made a more permanent home in the forest. He almost smacked himself when he realized he hadn't put matched on his list of stuff to buy immediately. Finally, he added water purification tablets, a roll of dental floss, a few rolls of duct tape, and a couple of extra blankets.

He did not plan on carrying all of this stuff out to the forest on the same day, realizing that he had enough time to make multiple trips and so being able to bring more with him than he had originally planned. When Monday came around, he was ready to leave after one last day of school and one last day with the Dursleys.

 **AN: I liked this chapter a lot more than the last one, hopefully you guys do too! Next chapter should be very fun! I am by no means a horse expert, and most of what I know is based off a little horse handling experience and research. The places mentioned in this are completely made up, I don't think a forest or pasture can be found anywhere near where Harry lives in Canon.**

 **Harry is currently nine years old and knows about as much as an advanced ninth-grader with a few extra bits of knowledge. Look up pinto foal to see cute pictures of what Kane looks like! I'm going to try to keep these chapters around two-thousand words each. Please review; I could really use helpful feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

 **AN: Go look up pictures of an African Bush Viper! They are so cool. (And, spoiler, relevant to the chapter!) Words in** _Italics_ **and surrounded by quotes are parseltongue.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable content.**

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 _Dear Dursley's,_

 _Now, I will no longer be a burden. I will be a burden only to myself and you shouldn't have to see me again. Please tell anyone that asks you where I have gone that you have sent me off to a school for juvenile delinquents. I hope you don't ask the police to look for me; it wouldn't be good for your reputation at all!_

 _Goodbye forever,_

 _Harry Potter_

Harry signed his name on the note he planned to give his relatives just as he heard the front door slam open. He hid the note under the thin mattress that has been his bed for the last nine years, quickly getting up to greet his Uncle. His Uncle scowled when he saw Harry, probably upset that Harry was there to mark the end of his vacation. "Go unpack my stuff, freak! I want to be able to play all the games I packed, so go set them up in my room!" Dudley commanded Harry when he walked through the door. "Mom, I'm starving! Make me a sandwich?" Dudley then switched his attention to Harry's aunt, already whining about how hungry he is.

Harry walked out to the car and started bringing the luggage in. He put them into the correct rooms and unpacked them. He put the last one down, a large dark red suitcase, in his Uncle's room. When he unzipped the suitcase and started putting away the clothes that lay inside, he jumped back in surprise when, what at first looked like a red and black stripe on a shirt, started moving. A snake's head popped up out of the clothes, hissing menacingly.

Harry backed away slowly, hoping not to startle the snake into attacking. The snake has red scales that are folded over each other, giving the snake an appearance of a slightly spiky red bush. A line of black scales line the snake's back and behind its eyes. The snake's large black eyes were narrowed at Harry, expectant of an attack at any moment. _"Where am I, human? I was trapped in that box for many days, I will attack!"_ queried the snake, its voice a having a hesitant quality to it. Harry's eyes widened in surprise, _"Did you just speak? What did you just say?"_ Harry rambled, not quite believing his ears. The snake stopped hissing and froze in surprise.

 _"Do you speak? This is impossible! There is no way you understand me! My name is Odd-Scale. Okay, tell me my name if you understood me."_ The confused snake hissed out. _"Umm, your name is Odd-Scale? Can I just call you Jinx?"_ Harry spoke back, to stunned to do anything other than answer the snake. The newly-named Jinx emerged from the suitcase fully, slithering closer to Harry but stopping when she noticed Harry backing away.

" _Speaker, do not be fearful of me! I will not hurt you. How do you speak my tongue?"_ Jinx questioned Harry, who was regaining his senses. _"How is this possible? I didn't know that snakes could speak, let alone know how to speak their language!"_ Harry replied, who finally understood that he was not speaking English. "Boy! Go back into your cupboard if you are done unpacking! I don't want to see any more of you tonight!" Vernon bellowed up the stairs as he stomped by. _"I plan on leaving this horrible place, soon. I can take you outside if you promise to stay quiet and hidden until I tell you not to. We can talk more later, okay?"_ Harry quickly grabbed the snake after it nodded its small head and had her crawl under his sleeve.

He walked down the stairs and into his cupboard, silently closing the door behind him. When he was sure it was safe, he whispered, _"Okay, you can come out now. We need to stay in here until night, where we will then leave. Once we reach the forest, you can decide what to do from there."_ Jinx hissed in agreement and curled up under the blankets, trying to conserve her body-heat. Harry purposefully didn't change into Dudley's old pajama's before falling asleep, knowing he would be leaving in a few hours.

* * *

Harry slept for a few hours before the movement of Jinx near his feet makes him wake up. He scrambled for the note he had written earlier and clutched it in his hand. He had Jinx wrap around his forearm before opening the cupboard door. Harry tip-toed into the kitchen and put the note on the counter. He then unlocked the door, silently opening it, and then closing it after he had walked out of it.

Harry almost cheered when he was out of the house, but refrained because he didn't want to wake anyone in the neighborhood up. He ran through the silent neighborhood, the slap of his shoes the only sound in the dead of night. He could feel Jinx's coils tighten around his arm, the scrape of her jagged scales slightly uncomfortable against his skin.

He ran for a while, later reaching the forest. He slowed to a walk when he was inside of it, not wanting to collapse from exhaustion. He continued to walk until he reached the clearing, whistling when he arrived at the hollow where he had hidden all of his stuff. Kane appeared then walked over and started rubbing his head against Harry's side. He reared back when he caught the strong smell of a snake clinging to Harry's form.

Harry backed away in alarm before coming to his senses. He tried to calm Kane, but first he hissed for Jinx to crawl up into a tree to avoid being hurt on the ground. Kane calmed down, but he still backed away fearfully. "Kane! Calm down! This is Jinx, and I promise she won't hurt you!" Harry soothed the horse and introduced him to Jinx. Jinx scowled down at Harry, the scales on her face moving into the shape of a frown. _"You never told me that a horse would be here! Can I bite it?"_ Jinx hissed down from her perch in the tree. _"No! Kane is my friend! You will not, nor will you never, bite him!"_ Harry sternly hissed back at the snake, alarmed that there was even a chance of her biting Kane.

Harry then started explaining to Kane how he and Jinx met, and what led to Harry bringing Jinx along. That led to him explaining to Jinx, in turn, how he had met Kane. While they talked, Kane became more comfortable, no longer skittish when he was nearby Jinx. Harry was relieved that he got them to get along.

When the first rays of the morning sun starting penetrating through the thick forest canopy, Harry, Kane, and Jinx knew each other's life story and were becoming fast friends. Harry had told Jinx about Kane's life as well as his own, seeing as the red and black snake couldn't understand the yearling's language either. Jinx, in turn had explained about her life before she met Harry, who in turn had translated what he heard to Kane so everyone understood each other.

Jinx's life was surprisingly normal before she had found an open suitcase lying on the ground and had crawling inside to investigate. She had hunted for food and fought other animals when attacked. Harry was slowly falling asleep, no matter how interested he was in the conversation. When he finally nodded off, Kane placed his body next to Harry's to share his body heat. He made a pointed gesture for Jinx to crawl in next to him, too. Jinx was grateful for the warmth, with her being a cold blooded animal and all.

Harry woke up around noon, smiling at his two friends. When he stood up, it hit him for the first time that he was _home_. For the first time, he was completely happy and free. He smiled again and looked over all of the materials he had brought with him to the wilderness. He planned to put a permanent fireplace in the center of the clearing with some type of shelter next to it.

He gathered rocks and put them into a circle before grabbing small sticks and twigs, snapping some of them so that they can be easily lit on fire. He wanted to save the matches he bought from the store for an emergency, so he wanted a way to light a fire without matches. He started by using his knife to cut a small notch in a piece of bark. He found a long stick and inserted one end of it in the small depression he had made with his knife.

He spun the stick as quickly as he could with his hands until a small ember was formed in the depression. He moved it into the fire and blew on it until the sticks caught fire. He cheered, causing Kane and Jinx to wake up. As they examined their surroundings, he went to gather firewood. He formed a small pile under the branches of a nearby tree.

Next, he wanted to start his shelter. It would take a year or more to make a permanent one, so while he worked on that he needed a place to stay the night and store any items he has. He picked all the green pine needles he could find off the ground and formed a huge pile. He used thick branches and the roots of the tree he was putting it under as a border for the makeshift bed and topped it off with leaves. After hanging the trash bag above the bed to block out any direct rainfall, he stood back to examine his work.

Now that he had established basic shelter and heat, he needed to find a source of water and food. He called Kane to his side. "Kane, you must have gotten water from somewhere when I'm not here. Can you show me where you got it from? Harry questioned. Kane bobbed his head up and down in a nodding gesture before walking out of the clearing into the lush green forest that surrounds them.

Harry followed Kane until a river appeared from between the leaves. Jinx had decided to stay behind. The river moved slowly through the forest, and in the clear blue water you could see different types of fish swimming. Harry beamed at Kane and pulled out the waterskin that he had tied to his belt, filling it with the cool water of the river.

Harry and Kane returned to the campsite. Now, Harry thought to himself, all I need is a steady source of food and this will be paradise! He left Kane and Jinx in the clearing and started setting traps for small animals in the forest that surrounds his campsite, making sure to memorize where he put each one so he could find them again. The dental floss that he brought with him was very helpful in the making of nooses and the tying back of branches for the traps.

"Kane, I have set traps for small animals all around the forest. None of them are big enough to hurt you, but be careful where you put your hooves. Jinx, these traps can hurt you, so be very careful if you do out into the forest without me." Harry warned his friends before an idea came into his mind. Why don't I make a fishing rod, he thought to himself, there are fish in the river and the ground is rich enough so it should be fairly easy to find bait.

The fishing rod was simple, but effective. He found a long stick and used his dental floss as fishing line. He used his knife to whittle a small hook and attached a bug he found under a rock to it. As the day came to an end, he had caught one small fish and two medium fish. Jinx ate the small fish when he returned with it and Harry cooked up the medium sized fishes. Kane just ate some of the plentiful foliage when he got hungry.


	4. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

* * *

Harry grunted as he tried to move a large log. He wanted a seat next to the fire so that he could sit by it and tend to the food without sitting on the uncomfortable ground. Kane seemed to be laughing at his feeble attempt. "Well, if it's so easy, why don't you try and move the log?" Harry grunted at the horse. "Wait a second. Why don't I have you pull this? I know that horses used to be used for many things, including pulling heavy objects!" Harry questioned himself and the horse. He thought about how he could attach the log to Kane, but he didn't have a harness or any rope that was strong enough to be of any use.

"Too bad we don't have anything to attach it to you with. I'm just going to have to drag it myself." He sighed and heaved on the log again, managing to pull it into a suitable position by the fire. He added a few sticks to the sputtering fire and sat down on the log to rest. After a moment, he announced to his friends that he was going to check the traps.

He had caught a total of two large voles and a stoat. A fairly good catch for only one night, Harry thought. Harry skinned his catch of the day before he starting cooking. He ate the stoat and one of the voles; he then fed the other vole to Jinx. There didn't seem to be much meat on the two animals, but by cooking and eating both of them he was pleasantly full.

* * *

By the afternoon, he had reset all of the traps and bushed Kane's fur out with the horse care kit he had brought and left in the forest when he first brought Kane here. He got started on his more permanent shelter, starting with the branches. He gathered thick branches, all about the same height, and put them in a separate pile from his firewood.

He took apart of one of his paracord bracelets and used the rope to make a clothes line, but he used it to hang up the fur of the animals he had skinned as well as clothes he had washed in the river. The sun was just starting to set when he started playing with his friends. They played, all three of them, together for the first time. They bonded and became closer, if that were even possible.

They fell into the habit of playing and having fun until they tired themselves out. Every night, they would sit down and just talk, about anything. Any random thought that popped into their heads, plans they had for the future, comments about their past. The weeks flew by, Harry continuously working on his shelter and hunting for food. He built his home in the shape of a large tepee, and then he draped the animal pelts he had saved along the outside to help protect against rain and wind. Every time he had collected more pelts, he either added it to the outside layer or to the floor of the tepee.

Kane and Jinx adapted well to living in the forest. Jinx either hunted her food or ate one of the critters the traps caught. Kane made sure to not eat all of the foliage in the clearing in one go, often leaving to find a separate patch of grass to graze on. When Harry's tenth birthday came around, they all celebrated with an extra-large meal of vole, squirrel, and a few small birds. Both Kane and Jinx were upset that they couldn't find anything special to give to Harry on his birthday, but Harry reassured them that just them being there was good enough for him.

* * *

The days continued at, what to them, seemed like an insanely fast pace. Harry tried really hard to keep track of the date, and he was almost certain that today was Kane's birthday. He told the colt so, and realized, with a start, that Kane was now officially old enough for him to ride. The pinto horse had grown into a fine young stallion, whose brown and white fur shone healthily. Kane had grown into a tall, muscular figure that looked as if he could carry a human easily on his back.

Harry walked up to the saddle that he kept in the corner of his tepee. He had kept in good condition, always making sure to keep it out of bad weather. Kane and Harry were very excited. Harry gently strapped the saddle onto Kane's back, Kane obediently standing still, but fidgeting a slight bit at the unfamiliar weight on his back.

Harry gently stroked Kane's neck to calm him. He put his foot into one of the stirrups, but when his full weight landed on Kane's back, he bolted forward and Harry almost fell off. Kane stopped soon after he realized what he had done, and he made a low neighing sound in apology. In the wild, if a wild animal jumps onto a horses back, it almost always means the horse is being attacked. That primal instinct caused Kane to bolt when he felt the weight settle onto his back.

Harry gasped to catch his breath and hugged Kane's neck. "Okay. Okay. I'm fine. Are you fine? Are you okay now? Because I'm wondering what happened to going slow." Harry rambled as his heart rate slowed down to a normal rate. Kane neighed again in apology and starting walking towards the pasture that they had tested his speed in so long ago. Jinx laughed down at the two, as she had opted out of riding on Harry's arm for the first few rides.

Harry laughed at the feeling of being so high up in the air, the feeling of muscles moving below him to propel them forward. Harry patted Kane's neck in the signal to speed up, and he was now moving at a fast trot. Harry soon found a way that made it much more comfortable to ride while moving at that pace and patted Kane's neck again. They sped up to a slow gallop, Harry having to grip the saddle tightly to stay on. He loosened his grip and tried to find a way to help him stay on without holding on.

He discovered that by sitting straight and firmly sitting down on the saddle while leaning slightly back, he stayed on Kane much easier. They practiced like this every day until Harry felt like he was becoming a good horseman. An actual riding lesson would probably improve his form and coordination while riding ten-fold, but no one who deals with horses regularly would be able to understand his intelligence. They would most likely try to get Harry to kick Kane to get him to go, and a bridle with a bit in his mouth to get him to turn.

Jinx eventually joined them, wrapping her body around Harry's wrist. She had trouble, like Harry, adjusting to the feeling of riding a horse, but she eventually got it. Another year soon passed, and the three friends never once got sick of each other. They did occasionally fight, but they were more friendly arguments than anything else. However, they never did have any actual fights.

* * *

 **AN: This is a special short chapter in honor of my first review! Thank you SmexyBananas!**


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

* * *

Harry's birthday came around again, and Harry, Jinx, and Kane were sitting around the fire celebrating with an extra-large meal of vole, squirrel, and assorted small birds. As they finished up and Harry put extra wood on the fire, a large barn owl flew in and landed next to Harry. He jumped back in surprise and Jinx almost bit the bird. It hooted impatiently and stuck out its leg. Harry inched forward and looked at the bird's leg. It looked like it had a letter strapped to its leg.

A large red blob of wax could be seen on the front, and, when Harry took it from the bird, had slightly old parchment inside. The bird waited as he opened the letter and read it. He read it out-loud for the benefit of Kane and jinx. The letter read:

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Witchery. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on the first of September. We await your letter no later than July thirty-first.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress"

Harry then pulled out the list of supplies needed to attend the school, shaking his head at the mere thought of a school of magic. Magic did not exist. He knew that to be fact, but that did not explain how the letter found him or why someone would go to such lengths to make an elaborate joke. The second page included a side note that all of the required materials could be found in Diagon Alley. He found another note on the bottom of the page, written in small letters, that Diagon Alley could be accessed through The Leakey Cauldron, Charing Cross, London.

Harry decided to go to this place and check it out, if it was some form of joke, he wouldn't be able to find it. He told his plans to his furry and scaled friend, and they readily agreed. Jinx wrapped around Harry's wrist after had put on one of the pairs of clothing that he had not worn at all for this exact purpose. He saddled up Kane and they rode for a long time, taking frequent breaks for rest. They arrived in London and Harry had to ignore the confused looks that were sent his way has he rode by on a horse.

* * *

Charing Cross Road was a normal street. Harry was happy to see other humans again, and was looking around with wide eyes. When, what at first what looked like an old, abandoned building morphed into a building with the sign, "The Leakey Cauldron," out front, Harry froze in surprise. Kane felt him tense up and turned his head to look at Harry imploringly. "Kane, did you see that? The place in the letter is real!" he excitedly pulls Kane over to the building. The two animals were skeptical until Harry forcefully pulled them inside the pub, startling the pubs occupants.

The pubs owner walked over and asked, "Hello, may I help you?" Harry smiled and said, "I'm looking for a place called Diagon Alley?" The pubs owner, a kind old barkeep named Tom, let Harry and his friends over to a brick wall and tapped a specific sequence on it. It opened and Harry's mouth dropped open. "First year at Hogwarts, kid? I help firsties out all the time, but they don't usually come on horseback! Just ask me if you need anything!" Tom spoke before walking back the way they came. Harry gaped in wonder, and to get him to move again Kane butted his head against Harry's back.

* * *

Jinx was silent, still trying to process the fact that magic was real, much like Harry. They looked around in awe, spotting many different types of shops. Harry then looked at the people, all oddly dressed in, what to him, looked like bath robes. He saw was sad, though, knowing he didn't have any money. He brightened when he saw a bank.

Maybe I can see if they know anything about my parents, Harry thought, who had wondered what the Dursleys had told him about his parents was true. As he walked toward the bank, he could read the inscription on the front: Enter stranger, but take heed, for what awaits the sin of greed, for those who take, but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors, thief, beware of finding more than treasure there.

Harry walked into the building, trying not to gape at the strange, wrinkled, creatures that ran the bank. He walked up to, what he assumed, was one of the tellers, and asked, "Sir, is this where I can ask about my parents will?" The goblin, while surprised at the polite question from the young wizard, asked, "Sir, please leave your horse outside, we do not want to interrupt the important work going on here. To talk about inheritances, talk to Koglok." Harry told Kane and Jinx to wait for him outside of the bank before he walked over to the goblin.

"Is this where I can learn about my parents, Lily Potter and James Potter?" Harry asked the goblin. The goblin was speechless; this was the 'great' Harry Potter? The famed savior was no more than a normal child. What was he doing in the bank, looking completely lost? "Yes, but we would have to confirm your identity. Please follow me." Harry followed him into a private room. Koglok set a wooden bowl and a knife in front of Harry. Both items had weird engravings on them, but with all of the weirdness going on, Harry just accepted it.

"Make a small cut on your palm and let three drops fall into the bowl. Don't worry the knife's engravings help to numb the pain and the wound should heal naturally." Koglok gruffly explained. Harry nervously nodded and cut, as gently as possible, a small line into his palm. Three drops fell into the bowl before the cut healed in front of Harry's eyes. He gasped in wonder, examining his hand and poking it to see if it hurt.

The goblins brows furrowed. "How long have you known about magic, Mr. Potter?" the goblin was curious, seeing as Harry was reacting very strongly towards very simple magic. "An owl came by with a letter and I came here to see what it was talking about. To tell you the truth, I'm still not sure if magic is real." Harry replied, nervously.

The goblin looked at the results and found that this truly was Harry Potter. "Can I see the results?" Harry took the proffered results and read them to himself. The results, though gotten through magical means, were fairly mundane. It told him his name and his parent's name. "I'm going to go get your vaults manager, Mr. Potter. Wait here." Harry nodded. A few moments later, another goblin entered the room and sat down on the other side of the large desk.

"Mr. Potter, I am Griphook, your vaults manager, and I have just been informed that you had not learned about magic until you received your Hogwarts letter. If at all possible, will you inform me of your living arrangements these past eleven years?" Griphook questioned the young wizard in front of him. By actively talking about his feelings to Kane and Jinx, it was actually quite easy to "Okay. I used to live with my relatives. They would starve me and my cousin would beat me up. My Aunt and Uncle would actually encourage it. I ran away when I was nine and met Kane and Jinx. Jinx is a snake and Kane is a horse. I have done quite well living in the forest with them."

Griphook was very surprised. Not only had Harry been abused, but he had run away and lived in a forest, with a horse and a snake as his only companions. "Mr. Potter. The way you were treated by your relatives is simply unacceptable. So, I am told you came here to learn about your parents." Griphook had to try not to growl at the thought of treating a child that way. "My relatives always told me that my parents were useless drunks and that they died in a car crash. They said that car crash was how I got my scar." Harry quietly responded. "Your parents were none of those horrible things! They fought the Dark Lord and, when they were attacked and killed." Harry was open-mouthed in shock as Griphook continued.

"When he turned to attack you, it is widely believed that yours mother's love caused the Killing Curse, which cannot be stopped with magic, protected you. The spell rebounded, killing the Dark Lord. You are famous in the wizarding world, Mr. Potter." Griphook finished his impromptu history lesson.

From there, Harry and Griphook started talking about his parents, his fame, Hogwarts and magic. Griphook steered the conversation towards his inheritance. "Your parents left you a great deal of money Mr. Potter. Will you consent to a full medical check-up before you go down to your vaults? It will cost a small amount of money, but you can afford it easily." Harry followed Griphook to another room, where there was instructed to sit still as he was given a checkup.

"Mr. Potter. Your body was obviously malnourished in its early stages, but it is slowly repairing itself. I recommend taking this potion every day for the next week to speed it up." The goblin shoved a potion into his hand before continuing, "You should eat a little more fruits and vegetables. I would also like to give you a magical evaluation. Is that acceptable?" one of the medi-goblins finished their run-down of his health. "I guess that would be fine." Harry had given up on wondering how magic worked at the moment, so he just went along with it.

He was instructed to change into the clean white robe that they shoved into his hands and stand in the center of a circle of goblins. The goblins started chanting, and Harry's body glowed white, but then the area around his scar turned a deep black. The white light that came from his chest turned a gray-ish green color. Two strands of blue light extended from him, and went off in a different direction. The goblins just continuously chanted, until the chant came to a crescendo and it suddenly stopped. The white light faded away, but the black on his forehead continued pulsing angrily, along with the sickly gray-ish green color and the two strands of light.

"Mr. Potter, There seems to be very dark magic originating from your scar, and some form of block on your magic. Whatever is in your scar also seems to be feeding on your magic to sustain itself. Very curiously, you have some sort of bond with two other creatures, but it is not nefarious at all. We would charge you for it, but be will be able to remove both the dark magic and the block. It seems like it would be best if we left the bond, for it seems to be helping you rather than hurting you. For another fee, we can find out the origin of each of these. You have enough money for both, and you would have plenty left after the transaction." Griphook walked in, while telling him the results of the evaluation.

"I think I have an idea who I'm bonded to. And yes, please get rid of the block and the dark magic as soon as possible." Harry told the goblin. He changed back into his normal clothes. If he was right, and that his bond was with Jinx and Kane, he couldn't be happier. He did wonder what the bond meant, though.

"Follow me," Griphook commanded. Harry was put into another circle of goblins, but this time a piece of white was stuck over his scar, and another piece just below and to the side of his heart. The goblins chanted and when they reached the crescendo, Harry saw a piece of paper appear in one of the goblins hands. This time, however, after the crescendo, they did not stop chanting. They continued at a slower pace, but it sounded even more intense than the last chant.

Harry felt a piecing pain in his head, before a scream ripped form his throat. A black figure was now screaming next to him, a high pitched yell that eventually faded away. Harry didn't get any reprieve before another piercing pain was felt, this time in his magical core. He screamed again, but the pain wasn't nearly as bad as the previous pain from his scar and it was much quieter.

He hadn't realized he had fallen down to his knees and that the chanting had stopped until Griphook came over and pulled him to his feet. Griphook pulled him into another private meeting room, where he instructed Harry to sit down. "Okay, Mr. Potter. Here are the results." Griphook slid the paper that he had grabbed from the other goblin and showed it to Harry. It read:

"Cast Magic Origins and Cleansing results:

Name: Harry James Potter

Results: Mr. Potter had a block on his core that blocked him from accessing thirty-five percent of his magic. The block was placed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. It has now been completely removed. Very dark magic was found in Mr. Potter's forehead. It was a Horcrux pertaining to Tom Riddle. The Horcrux was destroyed, along with all other Horcruxes pertaining to Tom Riddle. A fledgling Familiar bond was found, connecting to a horse that is named Kane and a Bush Viper named Jinx. The familiar bond has yet to be completed."

Harry was confused. He didn't know what a Horcrux was, or who Albus blah blah blah Dumbledore was, be he intended to find out. Also, he wanted to find out was a familiar bond was, what did it mean, and if he wanted to complete it, how?

* * *

 **AN: Yes, this will be a Manipulative!Dumbledore and Smart!Harry and, eventually Powerful!Harry story, but he has to work for ever power he get or earns or whatever. (I have literally nothing planned for this, I write chapters as I come up with them, and post them as I finish writing them…)**


	6. Chapter 6

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

* * *

Griphook was horrified at the new revelations. He had had a sneaking feeling that Dumbledore had been up to something for years, but he had had no proof. Why would Dumbledore place a block on a magical core that was still developing? There was no reason to place a block on anyone, and the only reason it was created in the first place was as a way to stop a dangerous criminal from using magic.

Even then, it is a very difficult spell to preform, let alone learn. Even if Dumbledore had placed the block on Harry to try and hide him from the death eaters that still roamed around freely, his core would have been almost completely block, if not fully. And, it would have been removed by at most his third birthday so that it could develop properly.

Harry, who had been quietly thinking on the other side of Griphook's desk, spoke up, "Wait, didn't that letter say that this 'Albus Dumbledore' was the headmaster of that magic school that you said I should go to?"

"Dumbledore wouldn't dare do anything against you in front of so many people. Hogwarts is a good magic school, and you really should go to it. You should be careful around him. Try very hard not to be alone with him, don't meet his eyes, and always be alert." Griphook gave his advice.

"What about Kane and Jinx? The letter said I could only bring a cat, a toad, or an owl. I will not leave them to go to this school, no matter what you say."

"I think I may be able to come to an agreement with Dumbledore. He wants you to go to his school, and if you refuse to go without them, he should bend the rules enough that you can go with them."

"That's awesome! Could you please set that up for me? What did you mean by telling me to not meet his eyes, anyway?"

"I'm surprised you questioned me on it. Most wizards just follow the one in charge blindly like a bunch of sheep! Well, in answer to your question, there is a technique called legitimency that a wizard can learn that allows them to read, and sometimes slightly alter, another beings mind.

At Harry's slightly scared look, Griphook quickly added, "Almost no-one knows of the skill, let alone knows how to use it. There is also a defense against it called occlumency."

"Can I learn occlumency? I do want to go to Hogwarts, I really do, and you said I have money. Can you tell me how much? I really don't want to spend it all just because I don't know how much I had in the first place."

"Of course I can. You have 98645436 Galleons, and 1000 each of Sickles and Knuts. The Knuts and Sickles could be converted to Galleons, but having both types of money instead of solely relying on Galleons is always a good idea."

"Galleons? Sickles? Knuts? What are those?" Harry could tell they were some form of money, but he had no idea of their worth.

Griphook sighed, already forgetting that the child in front of him was very new to the wizarding world. "A galleon is worth four-hundred ninety-three Knuts or seventeen Sickles. One Sickle equals twenty-nine Knuts. One Galleon would equal, at the current conversion rate, seven dollars and thirty-five cents in muggle money. You are quite well off Mr. Potter." Griphook promptly explained.

Griphook continued to speak as Harry processed what he had said, "I have compiled a list of things you should go into Diagon Alley and buy. This includes my recommended stores and your Hogwarts items. I have taken the liberty of writing down items that are not on the Hogwarts list in an effort to help you." Griphook hoped that Harry accepted his help, unlike most wizards that think they know so much better than goblins.

"Thanks Griphook! I'll do my best to follow your instructions! Is a book on occlumency and familiars included on the list?" at Griphook's nod, Harry got up and bowed at the goblin before walking out of the band with the list firmly clutched in his hand.

Harry walked out of the bank feeling free. He felt so much cleaner after the rituals were performed on him. He noticed Jinx and Kane were right outside and ran over to them excitedly. They collided, both checking Harry for injuries and Jinx hissing out rapid-fire questions about what happened. Harry laughed and told them he would explain in more detail. For now, they would go shopping and have a good time together.

The first thing on the list was a store called "Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions." It had a note next to it that said he stuck out like a sore thumb since everyone else was wearing robes. Harry glanced down at himself. He had to agree with Griphook, we was dressed completely different than everyone around him, garnering a few odd looks.

Harry peered at the signs of the stores he was passing, noting the ones he recognized from the list. He eventually found the correct store, and upon walking inside, was greeted by a happy woman who he assumed was Madame Malkin. "What can I get for you, dearie? Another for Hogwarts?" the woman asked. Harry nodded while adding, "I'll need the traditional Hogwarts robes along with a few normal ones. Is that okay?" Madame Malkin nodded as she directed him onto a platform to take his measurements. "Any preferences on the colors for the normal robes, dearie?" she asked, but when her question was answered with a, "No, could you pick them for me?" she grinned delightedly and bustled off to prepare the outfits.

Harry waited patiently for Madame Malkin to return with his order. A few other people were browsing the robes on show, so he stayed out of their way. A few minutes later, she returned with a set of robes in her hands. "That'll be five galleons, dearie. I hope you like the colors I picked out for you!" she spoke while showing him the robes. Along with the Hogwarts' robes, she had brought five casual robes of differing colors.

One was primarily red, with a royal blue trimming, while another was mainly gold with silver trimmings that looked very nice. The other two were fairly normal, a deep green robe and a thick black one that looked much more suite to colder weather than the others. Harry smiled with pleasure, happy about her choice of colors.

"These are great, Madam! Thank you! Harry handed over five galleons and left, eagerly taking the bag she handed him to help him carry the robes until he gets a trunk. He puts on the deep green one, and as he looks in the mirror, he noticed that it matched his eyes nicely.

Walking outside of the store, Jinx hissed to him, " _All this waiting issss boring! I should have stayed home if all we get to do is stand here while you sssshop!"_ Harry cringed, remembering that he had left them outside the store for a while, and this is after they had to wait outside of Gringotts for an hour or two. " _Sorry guys, I feel really bad about leaving you guys out here without me. I wish you could come with me, too, but your both much too noticeable and I don't want to leave Kane out here alone if you did ride on my forearm."_ He gently stroked both of their heads before he hopped onto Kane's back. "Okay, our next stop is," he briefly glanced down at the list, "Eye-wear for the Sight Impaired for a new set of glasses or even contacts."

Kane walked forward slowly through the crowd, all three ignoring (or oblivious to,) the eyes that watched them walk by. Jinx stayed hidden in Harry's new robes, knowing that most humans were not partial to snakes. Her red scaled head peeked out from Harry's sleeve to look at their surroundings. Harry kept an eye out for the sign signaling the store and while he was looking around. Riding Kane raised him above the other people in the alleys head's, so it was quite easy to see what was casing the commotion.

A man was swearing up a storm as he tried to swat at a beautiful white owl that was swooping down towards his head and pulling out clumps of already balding, hair. The snowy owl was hooting madly at the man, seemingly angry.

As he watched on, the man yelled out a string of words that were not, at the moment, profanities. "You stupid bird! You don't let anyone buy you! You just scratch at them and fly away! Worthless, that's what you are!" the man noticed his audience, and momentarily forgetting about the bird swooping around his head, spat out, "I'm willing to give this vile bird away for free, just to get it out of my shop and gone from my sight!" the continued to swat at the bird while the audience quailed, none of them wanting the troublesome bird.

Harry jumped off Kane and ran forward, catching the man's hand before he could land a hit on the bird. "Hey! Don't hurt it," Harry thought quickly, wanting to help the beautiful owl, "I'll take it! I'll take it off your hands!" The man ducked under the birds vengeful claws once again.

"Fine! Just stop this damn thing and get it away from me!" he walked back into his shop, completely stopping his attempts to catch the bird and put it back in its cage. Kane walked up behind Harry and Jinx slithered onto his back, silently remembering Kane's first reaction to meeting a snake.

Once the man was out of sight, the crowd dispersed and the owl settled down on a nearby perch. "Hey, hey, calm down. The guy is gone, now. I'm Harry, and this is Kane and Jinx. We want to help you. Are you hungry? I'm going to go get you a snack, just wait here, okay?" Harry slowly took a step back before walking into the store and buying a few owl treats, quickly paying the scowling store owner.

He put an owl treat in his hand and showed it to bird that had thankfully stayed put. "Okay, here's an owl treat. I know you must be hungry." The owl took the offered food out of his hand, quickly gobbling down the food. In a surprising show of trust, it moved down from the rafter and landed on Harry's shoulder, not noticing him wince as her - the owl was female – sharp claws dug slightly into his should, but not deeply enough to draw blood.

"Careful with those claws, girl. Do you want to come with me?" He gave her another treat and kept talking, "I live in a beautiful forest with plenty of room for you to hunt and fly around. You won't have to worry about being cramped, that's for sure!" Harry was more used to talking to animals than he was talking to humans, so it didn't bother him at all.

Kane sniffed the owl, taking in her scent while Jinx made sure the owl could see her so it didn't start freaking out. She hooted at Kane, but wasn't otherwise spooked by the two animals. "I need to get some supplies from the store to care for you. If you don't want to come in with me, you can perch on Kane's saddle." Harry started walking towards the store, slightly surprised to see that the owl stayed on his shoulder.

When he walked into the store with the owl, the store owner looked at him as if he was insane to have tamed what he thought of as, "The demon owl." Harry, oblivious to the look of surprise he was getting from the previous owner of the owl. He was also oblivious to the glare the owl shot the man as he picked out a piece of leather to put on his shoulder so that his new friend could perch their without hurting him.

He walked over to the treats and Harry let the owl pick out a bag of her favorite treats. "What am I going to name you? Snowball is the worst name ever, way too cliché, so I'm going to have to think about it for a while." He paid for the two items and walked back out to Kane and Jinx. " _You don't have any objections to us gaining a new friend, do you? It was kind of a spur of the moment decision."_ Harry quietly hissed to his scaly friend.

" _No, I have no objections. But next time, maybe you should ask that question before adopting a new friend into our weird family."_ Jinx hissed back, also voicing her opinion of them being a weird, dysfunctional, family.

Harry laughed and smiled, petting the snake on the head gently while Kane nuzzled his head into Harry's stomach in a weird group hug. " _I guess we are a family, aren't we?"_ The former trio, now quartet, was quite a weird side on the street, but wizards generally shrugged, and thought, "Magic," as was their explanation for everything odd or explainable.

The shop they were looking for, "Eye-wear for the Sight Impaired" was only a few stores away from where they were, so it was soon found quickly when they returned their search.


	7. Chapter 7

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

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"Hello?" Harry tentatively called out, not spotting anyone in the store. It was packed full of glasses on the walls and in stands. A few odd instruments were laid about the dusty store. Harry walked up to the counter and called out again for the person that ran the store. "Oh, a customer! What can I get for you? An enchanted pair of glasses that allow you to see in the dark? A contact lens that makes your eyes change color?" a man emerged from the back of the store.

Harry turned towards him in surprise. "I just need some contacts lens to replace my old glasses. Did you just mention enchantments you can put on them?" The man moved towards where he had contracts on display. "Why, yes! We have many different types we can put on them. A few of our most popular pairs are the ones that you never need to take out, the ones enchanted to return to your hand when you say a specified word, very useful if you lose them! We even have ones that are unbreakable. We have a few odd enchantments that do some odd things, too, just for fun! They will change colors randomly, shoot out a laser pointer so you can point things you are looking at out, night vision, and more! I can put a few enchantments on one pair of contacts, for a price!" Harry grinned excitedly.

"I just need contacts so I can see, but a few enchantments on them couldn't hurt! I'd like a pair that is unbreakable, has that recall spell you were talking about so I don't lose them, and has the spell on it so I never have to take it out! Night vision sounds amazing, but would that make them too expensive? How much for contacts with just those first three enchantments on it?"

"Well, it would be about three galleons and a couple sickles for contacts with those three enchantments on it, but it would only be another few sickles for the night vision enchantment. What do you say? You'll have to live with them for a long time, might as well make the investment!"

"Okay, that doesn't sound too bad! I'll take them!" Harry agreed, knowing that he would definitely find good contacts useful. "Good, good! I'll go make it for you, just wait a few minutes." He went back into the back of the shop, reemerging soon after with a contact case in his hands. Here you go." Harry handed him the money and the man showed him how to put them in.

Harry blinked as his vision blurred for a moment as he put the new contact lenses in his eyes. He blinked rapidly for a few moments as his vision cleared, revealing a clear view of the dusty shop. Harry smiled at the clarity of his vision. It was a huge improvement from his old, tapped up glasses that were barely even close to being the correct prescription for him.

He exited the store and looked at the list Griphook had given him. The next item on the list was a trunk to hold all of his school items. He found the store relatively easily after having been in the ally for some time now, and entered the shop; He had to, once again, leave his friends outside. The store was filled with a few customers, but not enough to be considered anywhere near full.

There were all kinds of different trunks that were being showcased in the store. He immediately noticed the color-changing trunk that was sitting on display. He continued on, also noticing the extra-large ones and the very tiny ones. His walk through the store came to a halt when he noticed a trunk that was snapping at the people that got too close and was scuttling around on centipede like legs. The shop's owner came running over and casted a quick spell on the broken chain that Harry just now noticed. Harry's eyes widened as it immediately fixed itself and wrapped around the chest, causing it to settle down and sit, unmoving, again.

Harry approached the chest cautiously. It shook as he approached. The shop owner turned to him. "Oh, you might want to step away from that thing. You're here for your standard Hogwarts trunk, correct? Those are right this way." The man, looking to be in his early forties or so, tried to lead Harry to the standard chests him his shop. Harry stopped the man. "Wait a second. Can you tell me about this trunk over here? It looks…. Unique compared to the other trunks I see on display." Harry was intrigued by the idea of a living item.

He also didn't like of an idea of a living item being chained up all day. He had been living with his friends for so long; he could tell when they had too much energy. If Kane wasn't allowed to run and play to get rid of all of the excess energy he had, he could become snappy and very short tempered. That was a very rare occurrence, but it had happened a few times.

Jinx was small enough that she always had enough room to let out her pent up energy, so it had never happened to her. "That chest won't listen to anyone! All it does is cause chaos. I know the perfect chest for you! This chest is brand new from our production line and should serve you well throughout all your Hogwarts years! What do you say?" The man tried to get him to purchase another one of his products.

"I'll take this one. Anything I need to know about it?" Harry had made his decision. "You want that thing? If it bites your arm off it's not my fault, got it? It was enchanted to keep intruders out and the only way to take things out or put things in is with its permission. It will follow you around or sit still, depending on what mode you ask it to be in. That is, if it listens to you! And its not really alive, it just is sort of alive. Only one was made after finding out how much trouble the thing was for everyone around it, including the owner of the dang thing."

Harry nodded along as the man spoke. "I'll buy it. How much?" Harry stopped the man before he started to rant. The man sputtered before telling him the price. Harry paid the (admittedly, fair price) unchained the trunk. It had, he noticed, stopped moving as they had talked. It didn't make any move as Harry carefully bent down to unchain it. The heavy chain was wrapped around the chest's middle, stopping the lid from moving up or down. The chain dropped to the ground. It shook its entire body like a wet dog and then its centipede-like legs came out from underneath it. It scuttled forward again, bumping into Harry's legs.

Harry bent down and stroked the lid of the chest, careful to avoid the opening. "Hello, I'm Harry. Do you want to help me out and be my trunk? You should have plenty room to run around as you like." The chest didn't make any moves to object or to agree, so Harry took a step back in the hopes that the trunk would follow. It scuttled after him, its many legs moving at a fast pace. Harry walked outside the shop back to Kane, Jinx, and his as of yet unnamed owl.  
"Guys, I may have kind of sort of picked up another stray. In my defense, it's only partially sentient and is pretty much what I went in there to buy. Meet my new trunk." Harry sheepishly explained. Jinx make a sighing sound from atop Kane's head and their newest owl friend swooped down, her wings silently gliding through the air to land on top of the trunk behind Harry.

"Can I call you Chester?" Harry asked the semi-sentient trunk. It made an odd nodding motion where it moved a few of its legs so it bobbed up and down in an odd nodding movement. "Great! Time for introductions! This big fella over here is Kane, the red and black snake on his head is Jinx, and the snowy owl currently residing on your head – I hope you don't mind – is not yet named. We have to head to the library next to pick up my school books and find the perfect name for our beautiful owl friend. What do you say, will you be my trunk?"

In response, it actually jumped into the air a little bit; only making it a few inches off the ground, but it was still easily recognizable as excitement. The snowy owl on Chester's back was not happy with the sudden movement, hooting agitatedly before calming down. Harry walked with Kane on his left and Chester on his right. Both had their own passengers still hitching rides.

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 **Disclaimer: Chester's name Chester is a reference to the game Don't Starve Together and his design is based on the the book series Discworld (As I have been informed by a wonderful reviewer :D) I make no claims of ownership of any part of the Harry Potter universe, or any part of the Don't Starve Games, or any part of the Discworld universe. Nor will I ever own any part of anything recognizable in this story.**


	8. Chapter 8

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

The bookstore had bookshelves that went up into the ceiling with all kinds of books in all different sizes. He easily found the tied package of all the required school books that was near the front desk. He left it there for now so he could leave his hands free to browse some of the books in the book store. He was almost frothing at the mouth at the thought of reading again.

Reading was his favorite pastime when he was still at the Dursley's. The thought of the Dursley's still left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, but he wasn't going to dwell in the past. He browsed through a selection of books until he had a pile in his arms. He stacked his school books on top and went to the counter to buy them. The store owner barley paid him any attention as he rung up his order and Harry paid the correct amount.

He was browsing a history book when a name caught his eye. Hedwig, a medieval witch. It seemed like the perfect name for his owl. He left the store with his pile of books swaying dangerously. He kneeled down and places his stack of books on the ground next to Chester and his snowy owl. "I think I've found the perfect name for you! What do you think about the name Hedwig?" Harry asked. Hedwig hooted happily. Harry attached the leather shoulder guard that he had bought when he had gotten Hedwig before holding out his arm for Hedwig to fly onto.

She landed on his shoulder, her claws digging into the leather without hurting Harry at all. He smiled at her and then addressed Chester. "Okay, buddy. I need you to carry these books for me along with the bag of clothes I had gotten from Madam Malkin." Chester's lid creaked open. None of the teeth that could be seen when Harry last saw him open his lid could be seen. The inside of the chest was much bigger than it was on the outside. Harry placed all of his items inside.

Chester's lid closed again with a satisfied snap. "That was almost like food for you, wasn't it?" Harry laughed at the silly trunk. It was so much happier and full of life now that it was free from the trunk store. Harry had a sudden thought. "If someone tries to take something from you without permission, please don't bite off any limbs. Or anything really. Do you have other ways of stopping people from taking stuff from you without hurting them?" Chester's lid opened again and teeth appeared. The teeth then changed to locks and the lid slammed down again, obviously showing that it could also just refuse to open. The lid opened again and the locks changed to a rubber like substance. It scuttled forward and Harry played along. He stuck is arm into the open lid and it closed around his arm, stopping him from being able to pull it out. "Okay, those should work just great, Chester." Harry told him.

Kane snorted and pawed the ground, wanting to get going. "We still have just a few more quick stops to go to. We are almost done shopping, I promise!" Harry told him. He had to pick up some potion supplies at the apothecary, and some other items. Those shops went by quickly. He went in, left his friends outside and got the items at each store.

Harry climbed onto Kane's back, Jinx once again wrapped around Harry's wrist as Chester scuttled behind them, trying to keep up. Hedwig flew above them in a slow, gliding circle. They left the alley and started the long trip back to the forest he calls home. Harry was alarmed when Hedwig made a sharp downwards dive, but quickly calmed down when she reappeared with a vole locked in her claws. She maneuvered its limp body to a single claw and landed on Harry's shoulder.

She offered it to him, but he declined, stating that he would hunt for his own food once he arrived home. Kane snorted, hungry for food. Harry let him take a few bites from the patches of grass that were popping up around the path they were on. Chester was still scuttling happily behind them.

Jinx wasn't happy with being on another long, cold, trip. She had curled up against Harry's body warmth and had fallen asleep. Harry thought back to near the end of his shopping trip. He had looked at the list that Griphook had given him and saw that the next item on it was ink and a quill. He had found the idea absolutely ridiculous. He converted some wizard money to muggle money and made a stop in a muggle store to buy a set of high quality different colored pens.

He arrived home to his fire pit, and the large wooden tepee he had built a long time ago as his home. He relit the fire and made a quick stop by the river to refill his waterskin. The sun was setting. Jinx was warming up by the fire and Hedwig was exploring from above. Chester had stilled inside the tepee, his legs disappeared as he turned into, what at first glance, looked like a completely normal trunk. Kane was grazing.

Harry checked the traps and ate a nice dinner along with Hedwig and Jinx. He moved over to Chester and took out the book at that he had found on Familiars. He paused for a second to once again look at his new wand. It was finely made, with a phoenix core. Finding the correct wand had been an ordeal! He still felt bad about how each time he tried a wand it destroyed part of Ollivander's shop. He put it back away inside of Chester.

The first few paragraphs of the book were boring. The definition of a Familiar, the different types of animals a Familiar could be (Any animal…) and so on. Finally, the book got interesting.

"The first step of a familiar bond is to simply spend a lot of time with the animal in question. The second step, though slightly harder, is just as simple. Talk to the animal as if it can understand you. Explain things to it, talk about your life, and more. The third step is slightly more complicated. To complete a Familiar bond, you must send out a tendril of your magic and the animal that you intend to become your familiar must send out another tendril of magic, forever entwining your two magics. (Note all living things have an innate connection to magic, only some of them have a large enough connection to have the ability to manipulate it). A wizard or witch can have multiple familiars, but (because every magically adept creature has a different type of connection to magic) this is very rare due to the fact that the more familiars you have the more of a connection you must have to this particular brand of magic. If both creatures magic is willing to form the bond, an unbreakable connection will be made between the two life forms. When the connection is made, two things will always happen. You will have a telepathic bond with your familiar, giving you the ability to read each other's minds, speak to each other over long distances, look through your familiar's eyes as if they are your own, and you will now be able to understand each other as if you are speaking the same language. Second, the bond will increase your Familiar's intelligence drastically."

Harry stopped reading. He almost wanted to complete the bond now, just so he could talk to Kane and Hedwig! He had always wished he could speak. He didn't want to form a bond if there were any negative side effects, as the book had said the bond was unbreakable. He continued to read the fascinating book, wishing he had thought to buy an empty notebook so he could take some notes. The only side effect he could find was that if another wizard or witch wanted to try and read his mind, they could get into his mind by 'piggybacking' on the psychic connection to gain access. The good part of that was that if your mind is protected, it carries over the bond, protecting both them and you. The combined effort of your familiar's mind and yours can fend off pretty much any attack, if you are both focusing.

Harry did have one problem though. How the heck do you reach out for something with your magic? It was getting late in the night now and the fire by his feet was getting low. He reached for the pile of firewood he kept stocked up and dry under the boughs of a tree and added a log to the fire. Its comforting warmth prompted him to make his decision. In the morning, he would attempt to create the bond with all of his friends. He suspected the bond with Hedwig would be the hardest as he had only known her for a day. He looked up at the sky, barely able to make out her nocturnal flying form as she glided through the night.

Harry whistled and Hedwig swooped down to land on his shoulder. She cooed at him and nibbled his ear affectionately. "I'm going to try and create a bond between all of us, tomorrow. We'll be able to really talk. Won't that be amazing?" Harry whispered to her. He knew he could already talk to Jinx. But talking to the same person (Snake?) and no one else for so long can get a little tiring. Don't get him wrong, he loved Jinx. The thought of talking to Kane had crossed his mind many times but he had never before thought it was possible.

A hoot from Hedwig drew his attention back to the present. "I really should get some sleep, shouldn't I?" He whispered. Hedwig softly hooted and flew up to a branch in a nearby tree. Harry almost fell off the large log he was using when her powerful wings fought gravity for a moment. He got up and went inside of his shelter of many years, now. "Goodnight, everyone."

Sunlight stabbed at his eyelids painfully. Harry groaned as he woke up. Kane snorted as he bent his neck down so that his head was inside of the tepee. "I'm up, Kane, I'm up." Harry got to his feet and left the tepee. He came to full awareness as he saw Chester and Hedwig, the events of yesterday coming to the forefront of his mind. Magic was real, and he was going to be able to understand them! Magic was real. It was a fact. He had seen it with his own two eyes. Jinx had seen it with her own two eyes. Kane had seen it with his own two eyes. Hedwig had lived with magic around her all her life. She had seen it with her own two eyes. Chester is a walking magical chest. Chester is magical; he doesn't need to see it!

"Okay, I am going to complete a Familiar bond between us. Does anyone not want to be a part of this bond? It's unbreakable." Harry asked them one last time. Jinx hissed to him, _"Get it over with already! We are your family and might as well already have a bond. This just completes it magically, right? None of us are backing out, so do whatever it is you're trying to do already!"_

Harry took a step back at the fierce, assertive remark from Jinx. Harry laughed good-naturedly and walked up to Kane. "My old friend, will you do the honor of being my first Familiar?" Kane nudged him with his head and neighed, as if to say, 'Of course!'


	9. Chapter 9

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

* * *

Chester wasn't going to become a Familiar. He was happily sitting inside of the tepee with no problems. Jinx and Hedwig stepped (well, slithered and flew) back to give Harry and Kane room. They stood with a few feet between them looking directly at each other, gazes unwavering. Harry closed his eyes and felt for his magic.

He felt nothing. He continued to search. He imagined a glowing ball of power, floating in an immense empty blackness. He imagined himself reaching out to the ball of magic. He grasped it in his hand and pulled a tendril out of it. He kept one end connected to the imaginary orb and gently moved the tendril of power into a rope-like shape.

He stilled for a moment. He imagined a glowing orb of a different type of power. He filled it with all the thoughts and memories he had of Kane. He filled it with the fun memories, the sad ones, the loving ones, and finally, the ones that made them family. He reached out for the orb. It didn't do anything for a long moment. Another tendril came out of it, seemingly looking around its surroundings. The blackness surrounding it was caving in, trying to bury the light in its darkness. The light only grew brighter.

The tips of the Tendril's meet. The one Harry imagined he was holding radiated warmth and family and comfort. The other one didn't hesitate. They entwined, tightening around each other before they seemed to sink into each other, forming a rope where you could not tell where one tether ends and the other begins.

All of this was imagined in Harry's mind in startling clarity. He opened his eyes. He heard a voice. "Did it work? It feels like it worked." Harry looked around, but found only Kane, who was looking at him intently. "Kane? Did you just…?" Harry trailed off. "Harry! Can you understand me now?" Kane took a step forward to nudge him with his head. "This is amazing! I've always wished you could understand me! And now that you can, I don't know what to say." Kane started running around him in circles, tossing his head back and neighing out his excitement.

"Let's celebrate after everyone can understand each other, okay buddy? I still have to complete the bond with Jinx and Hedwig. You haven't been able to understand Jinx all this time, have you? That must have been hard…" Harry tried to calm him. "I don't know how long that took us; I was standing there for a long before I could feel anything happening. I'm going to munch on this grass while you attempt to bond with them. Good luck, now I'm hungry." Kane snorted and began ignoring him. Truthfully, Kane was still trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening. Slowly chewing on grass while Harry did whatever he was doing gave him plenty of time to clear his head.

Harry laughed at Kane's dismissal and looked for Jinx. Her red scales were not the best camouflage in the bright green of the forest, and he found her easily. She hissed at him, annoyed that he had been doing nothing for so long. _"Sorry we took so long, Jinx. But it worked! I can understand Kane now! Are you ready to bond with me?"_ he asked. _"Yes, what do I do? It better not involve sitting here for hours like you had Kane to do!"_ she replied. _"It shouldn't take as long now that I know what to do, Jinx. Open your heart to me and I will do the same for you."_ Harry tried to sooth her.

She rose up on the bottom half of her body, coiling it below her like she was about to strike. Harry showed no fear and their eyes met. He knew that she was testing him and raising her body so that their eyes could meet at the same time. A smile could be seen on both their faces as another unbreakable bond was formed. Kane came over, feeling as if he was just pulled towards them.

He acted on instinct and completed his part of the bond by tying just a little bit of his 'rope' of power onto it. When Harry imagined the glowing orbs of power to bond with Jinx, this time he imagined his orb and the line connecting his and Kane's orb, along with Jinx's orb floating off to the side.

He formed the rope between him and Jinx much the same way he did with Kane. This time, before the bond fully formed and solidified, a tiny rope came from Kane's orb and latched onto a bit of Jinx's side of the rope. It seemed to approve the bond before everything settled down. The three of them were fully connected now.

Now the only creature left was the patiently waiting Hedwig. She hooted, unsure. Her eyes were troubled, and Harry took a guess at what was wrong. "You have just met me a few hours ago, haven't you? You are a very intelligent bird. I can tell. I won't force you into this. Take as long as you need to, okay?" Harry stood up and walked over to her, his head still a foot or two below the branch she was sitting on. Jinx hissed her agreement.

Hedwig affectionately landed on Harry's shoulder, nibbling his ear in a show of agreement. "I am going to go check the traps while you two hunt, okay? Hedwig, we don't want creatures to actively avoid this area, so would you mind traveling a little further away to hunt? Jinx knows what to do already." She took off silently, causing Harry to once again almost buckle under the unfamiliar weight. Jinx slithered off just as Harry jumped onto Kane's back.

"The usual route, buddy?" Harry asked. Kane snorted, "I heard the whole conversation. I don't even think you needed to ask. Why don't we go for a speed run?" Kane was rearing to run after a whole nights rest with good food in his belly. Harry patted his neck and they were off, racing between the trees on a familiar path through the forest. The rush and happiness was exhilarating. They were moving as one ducking and moving and jumping together, never missing a beat. The connection between them had increased on a far greater level then just verbal communication.

A thought would filter through Harry's mind, and Kane would hear it. Kane would think, if only for a split second, about jumping over a fallen tree, and Harry would hear the thought and cheer him on. The run through the forest was simply fun. They almost forgot to stop and check the traps. The first few ones were empty, but by the time they finished checking all of them, a few hours had passed and they had a good amount of food for the next day or so.

Returning to the camp, they both had a vague idea that Jinx was almost back with a full stomach. When she returned, her belly fat with a mouse slowly digesting inside, neither were surprised. The bond had made all of them aware of each other on a much higher level than ever before. It would take practice to master everything involved in the bond, but they were all in such high spirits, none of the work or confusion bothered them. Chester silent the entire time, not at all bothered by sitting still after the long walk he took to get back to the camp from Diagon Alley.

Hedwig soon returned and began preening over the fact that she had caught a partially fat vole. Harry had about a month before he went to Hogwarts left, and he planned to spend it preparing. He had no doubt that he would be at a disadvantage compared to the other kids. Not only had he not brushed up on any basic skills a normal kid would learn in school in years, but he had most likely forgotten some social skills at this point. He wasn't particularly gross, and he made a point not to eat completely like an animal, but having only animals instead of humans as your only companions wouldn't help anyone learn the best social skills. Not to mention when he had conversed with humans for any length of time, almost none of it could be considered friendly.

Talking to Griphook and the other Goblins hadn't been a problem. He asked the few questions, and they answered them, simple as that. They asked a few questions, and he gave them a straightforward answer. Talking to people he barely knows will be a problem. Still, getting a book that teaches communication and social skills might be overkill. He still loved books just as much as he did when he still lived with the Dursley's, that won't ever change.

He read more of the book about Familiar's and attempted one of the exercises recommended in it. He sat by his fire, cross legged and closed his eyes. Jinx was attempting to lift a rock with her flexible tail. Harry could sense both of his Familiar's in the corner of his mind. He focused on Jinx's presence and sent the first broadcasted the first thing that came to mind, **_"What is the point of trying to lift a rock with your tail, exactly?"_** His eyes popped open when he heard an almost instantaneous verbal replay coming from Jinx.

 _"So I have a stronger tail for whipping people that annoy me when biting isn't an option or is just a little to cruel at the moment."_ She looked at him, noticing his lack of response. _"Do you even notice that I wasn't speaking aloud?"_ Harry asked. _"I noticed. I just didn't feel like trying to respond with thought. It would take effort, distracting me! I might as well attempt it, it should be useful if you ever get into trouble and need me to bite someone for you."_ She flippantly replied as she picked a thought and sent it to him. **_"I'm going back to my tail strengthening exercise now."_**

Harry jerked back in surprise at the quick statement flashing through his mind. Well, that was much easier than he had thought it would be. He tried again with Kane. It seemed even easier. **"Are you up for going back to Diagon Alley for a quick shopping trip a few days from now? We need to pick up a book bag and some blank notebooks. And we just may grab a few more books. But that's all, I promise!"** Kane's head swiveled towards him and snorted. "That's kind of cool! I could hear your entire conversation with Jinx, you know! I'm always up for a run! But you better be right about the fact that it will be a quick trip, waiting outside all of those stores was not fun!" Harry sent another thought to Kane. **"You should try and send a thought to me. You both should try to send thoughts to each other, too!"**

They began playing around with talking to each other through their minds. The next week was spent practicing connecting to each other's minds. During that week, a trip to Diagon Alley was made, a quick stop to get a few blank, leather bound notebooks and a cross body book bag that hug at his hip with a charm on it that made it extremely light no matter how much stuff you put in it. The charm was apparently called the feather-light charm. He read more and more of his books as time passed, throwing in the first few chapters of his Occlumency book. It had him doing a meditative exercise each night to organize his mind.

He managed to read all of the most important information from each of his school textbooks, but he took almost no notes on them, planning on going over them again in more depth in class. He took notes on his non-coursework books, not wanting to forget any important information in his self-studies.


	10. Chapter 10

**IMPORTANT: This is the old version of Harry's Familiars! This story has been adopted by the wonderful Darksurvivor, so head on over to his profile to find the new story.**

* * *

Chester wasn't going to become a Familiar. He was happily sitting inside of the tepee with no problems. Jinx and Hedwig stepped (well, slithered and flew) back to give Harry and Kane room. They stood with a few feet between them looking directly at each other, gazes unwavering. Harry closed his eyes and felt for his magic.

He felt nothing. He continued to search. He imagined a glowing ball of power, floating in an immense empty blackness. He imagined himself reaching out to the ball of magic. He grasped it in his hand and pulled a tendril out of it. He kept one end connected to the imaginary orb and gently moved the tendril of power into a rope-like shape.

He stilled for a moment. He imagined a glowing orb of a different type of power. He filled it with all the thoughts and memories he had of Kane. He filled it with the fun memories, the sad ones, the loving ones, and finally, the ones that made them family. He reached out for the orb. It didn't do anything for a long moment. Another tendril came out of it, seemingly looking around its surroundings. The blackness surrounding it was caving in, trying to bury the light in its darkness. The light only grew brighter.

The tips of the Tendril's meet. The one Harry imagined he was holding radiated warmth and family and comfort. The other one didn't hesitate. They entwined, tightening around each other before they seemed to sink into each other, forming a rope where you could not tell where one tether ends and the other begins.

All of this was imagined in Harry's mind in startling clarity. He opened his eyes. He heard a voice. "Did it work? It feels like it worked." Harry looked around, but found only Kane, who was looking at him intently. "Kane? Did you just…?" Harry trailed off. "Harry! Can you understand me now?" Kane took a step forward to nudge him with his head. "This is amazing! I've always wished you could understand me! And now that you can, I don't know what to say." Kane started running around him in circles, tossing his head back and neighing out his excitement.

"Let's celebrate after everyone can understand each other, okay buddy? I still have to complete the bond with Jinx and Hedwig. You haven't been able to understand Jinx all this time, have you? That must have been hard…" Harry tried to calm him. "I don't know how long that took us; I was standing there for a long before I could feel anything happening. I'm going to munch on this grass while you attempt to bond with them. Good luck, now I'm hungry." Kane snorted and began ignoring him. Truthfully, Kane was still trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening. Slowly chewing on grass while Harry did whatever he was doing gave him plenty of time to clear his head.

Harry laughed at Kane's dismissal and looked for Jinx. Her red scales were not the best camouflage in the bright green of the forest, and he found her easily. She hissed at him, annoyed that he had been doing nothing for so long. _"Sorry we took so long, Jinx. But it worked! I can understand Kane now! Are you ready to bond with me?"_ he asked. _"Yes, what do I do? It better not involve sitting here for hours like you had Kane to do!"_ she replied. _"It shouldn't take as long now that I know what to do, Jinx. Open your heart to me and I will do the same for you."_ Harry tried to sooth her.

She rose up on the bottom half of her body, coiling it below her like she was about to strike. Harry showed no fear and their eyes met. He knew that she was testing him and raising her body so that their eyes could meet at the same time. A smile could be seen on both their faces as another unbreakable bond was formed. Kane came over, feeling as if he was just pulled towards them.

He acted on instinct and completed his part of the bond by tying just a little bit of his 'rope' of power onto it. When Harry imagined the glowing orbs of power to bond with Jinx, this time he imagined his orb and the line connecting his and Kane's orb, along with Jinx's orb floating off to the side.

He formed the rope between him and Jinx much the same way he did with Kane. This time, before the bond fully formed and solidified, a tiny rope came from Kane's orb and latched onto a bit of Jinx's side of the rope. It seemed to approve the bond before everything settled down. The three of them were fully connected now.

Now the only creature left was the patiently waiting Hedwig. She hooted, unsure. Her eyes were troubled, and Harry took a guess at what was wrong. "You have just met me a few hours ago, haven't you? You are a very intelligent bird. I can tell. I won't force you into this. Take as long as you need to, okay?" Harry stood up and walked over to her, his head still a foot or two below the branch she was sitting on. Jinx hissed her agreement.

Hedwig affectionately landed on Harry's shoulder, nibbling his ear in a show of agreement. "I am going to go check the traps while you two hunt, okay? Hedwig, we don't want creatures to actively avoid this area, so would you mind traveling a little further away to hunt? Jinx knows what to do already." She took off silently, causing Harry to once again almost buckle under the unfamiliar weight. Jinx slithered off just as Harry jumped onto Kane's back.

"The usual route, buddy?" Harry asked. Kane snorted, "I heard the whole conversation. I don't even think you needed to ask. Why don't we go for a speed run?" Kane was rearing to run after a whole nights rest with good food in his belly. Harry patted his neck and they were off, racing between the trees on a familiar path through the forest. The rush and happiness was exhilarating. They were moving as one ducking and moving and jumping together, never missing a beat. The connection between them had increased on a far greater level then just verbal communication.

A thought would filter through Harry's mind, and Kane would hear it. Kane would think, if only for a split second, about jumping over a fallen tree, and Harry would hear the thought and cheer him on. The run through the forest was simply fun. They almost forgot to stop and check the traps. The first few ones were empty, but by the time they finished checking all of them, a few hours had passed and they had a good amount of food for the next day or so.

Returning to the camp, they both had a vague idea that Jinx was almost back with a full stomach. When she returned, her belly fat with a mouse slowly digesting inside, neither were surprised. The bond had made all of them aware of each other on a much higher level than ever before. It would take practice to master everything involved in the bond, but they were all in such high spirits, none of the work or confusion bothered them. Chester silent the entire time, not at all bothered by sitting still after the long walk he took to get back to the camp from Diagon Alley.

Hedwig soon returned and began preening over the fact that she had caught a partially fat vole. Harry had about a month before he went to Hogwarts left, and he planned to spend it preparing. He had no doubt that he would be at a disadvantage compared to the other kids. Not only had he not brushed up on any basic skills a normal kid would learn in school in years, but he had most likely forgotten some social skills at this point. He wasn't particularly gross, and he made a point not to eat completely like an animal, but having only animals instead of humans as your only companions wouldn't help anyone learn the best social skills. Not to mention when he had conversed with humans for any length of time, almost none of it could be considered friendly.

Talking to Griphook and the other Goblins hadn't been a problem. He asked the few questions, and they answered them, simple as that. They asked a few questions, and he gave them a straightforward answer. Talking to people he barely knows will be a problem. Still, getting a book that teaches communication and social skills might be overkill. He still loved books just as much as he did when he still lived with the Dursley's, that won't ever change.

He read more of the book about Familiar's and attempted one of the exercises recommended in it. He sat by his fire, cross legged and closed his eyes. Jinx was attempting to lift a rock with her flexible tail. Harry could sense both of his Familiar's in the corner of his mind. He focused on Jinx's presence and sent the first broadcasted the first thing that came to mind, **_"What is the point of trying to lift a rock with your tail, exactly?"_** His eyes popped open when he heard an almost instantaneous verbal replay coming from Jinx.

 _"So I have a stronger tail for whipping people that annoy me when biting isn't an option or is just a little to cruel at the moment."_ She looked at him, noticing his lack of response. _"Do you even notice that I wasn't speaking aloud?"_ Harry asked. _"I noticed. I just didn't feel like trying to respond with thought. It would take effort, distracting me! I might as well attempt it, it should be useful if you ever get into trouble and need me to bite someone for you."_ She flippantly replied as she picked a thought and sent it to him. **_"I'm going back to my tail strengthening exercise now."_**

Harry jerked back in surprise at the quick statement flashing through his mind. Well, that was much easier than he had thought it would be. He tried again with Kane. It seemed even easier. **"Are you up for going back to Diagon Alley for a quick shopping trip a few days from now? We need to pick up a book bag and some blank notebooks. And we just may grab a few more books. But that's all, I promise!"** Kane's head swiveled towards him and snorted. "That's kind of cool! I could hear your entire conversation with Jinx, you know! I'm always up for a run! But you better be right about the fact that it will be a quick trip, waiting outside all of those stores was not fun!" Harry sent another thought to Kane. **"You should try and send a thought to me. You both should try to send thoughts to each other, too!"**

They began playing around with talking to each other through their minds. The next week was spent practicing connecting to each other's minds. During that week, a trip to Diagon Alley was made, a quick stop to get a few blank, leather bound notebooks and a cross body book bag that hug at his hip with a charm on it that made it extremely light no matter how much stuff you put in it. The charm was apparently called the feather-light charm. He read more and more of his books as time passed, throwing in the first few chapters of his Occlumency book. It had him doing a meditative exercise each night to organize his mind.

He managed to read all of the most important information from each of his school textbooks, but he took almost no notes on them, planning on going over them again in more depth in class. He took notes on his non-coursework books, not wanting to forget any important information in his self-studies.


	11. Adoption Notice!

The wonderful Darksurvivor has officially adopted this story! He has just posted the first chapter, so head on over there! I hope he lives up to or exceeds whatever expectations you guys had for this story. Thank you to everyone who has read this and leant your support. I'm so sorry that I never continued, so I hope this makes up for it! Enjoy!


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